2027; Kwankwaso political journey coming to and end in Kano State says Ganduje

2027; Kwankwaso political journey coming to and end in Kano State says Ganduje

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Ganduje, has expressed confidence that the ruling party will defeat Rabiu Kwankwaso in Kano in the lead-up to the 2027 elections, pointing to what he described as growing political alignment within the state.

Speaking during an interview with BBC News Hausa aired on Monday, Ganduje characterised Kano as a key battleground and suggested that the APC’s prospects have been strengthened by the support of Governor Abba Yusuf.

Kwankwaso, who on March 30 defected to the African Democratic Congress (ADC) alongside prominent opposition figures including Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, came under sharp criticism from the former Kano governor. Ganduje described him as “a bird hopping from one tree to another”, arguing that his political relevance is waning.

“We can use our political strategy to defeat him now, especially since the Governor is on our side and that is the essence of politics,” Ganduje said.

“His political journey is coming to an end; he joined a major party filled with individuals who all want to contest for the Presidency. This internal ambition will be their downfall, as they are already fighting among themselves.”

Ganduje also highlighted what he sees as the APC’s growing dominance across the country, citing the number of governors aligned with the party.

“Look at our party: even governors are joining us. In the history of Nigerian politics, no party has ever held 32 state governors except ours. These governors are joining willingly because they are genuinely interested in the progress happening at the federal level,” he said.

Reflecting on the 2023 Kano governorship election, which the APC lost to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Ganduje maintained that the party had challenged the outcome in court but ultimately accepted the Supreme Court’s verdict.

“We did not win the last election. We took the case to court, where two courts affirmed our victory, but the Supreme Court ultimately decided against us. We accepted that as God’s will,” he said.

He added that the APC has since begun rebuilding its base in Kano and is engaging across political divides to regain strength.

“We have not given up, and we are working to rebuild the APC and make it strong enough to win again,” he said.

“Fortunately, the governor is a reasonable thinker. He recognised the need to join the ruling party APC to be involved in national governance rather than operating only within Kano State.”

**Ganduje Reacts to Gawuna’s Exit**

Ganduje also addressed the resignation of Nasiru Gawuna, the APC’s 2023 governorship candidate in Kano, who left the party on the same day Kwankwaso joined the ADC.

He downplayed the development, insisting there was no personal disagreement between them.

“Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna has not betrayed me, nor has he done anything wrong. Democracy is driven by personal interest, and he is simply pursuing his. We have never fought, and there are no personal issues between us,” Ganduje said.

He suggested that Gawuna’s decision may have been influenced by the political dynamics within the APC, particularly the governor’s reported alignment with the party.

“Perhaps Gawuna felt he wouldn’t have a fair chance to contest since the governor would naturally seek re-election on the party ticket,” he said.

Ganduje also dismissed the strength of any emerging alliance between Gawuna and Kwankwaso in the ADC.

“His decision to align with Kwankwaso is because their interests currently overlap. However, by God’s grace, they will not succeed in their plans,” he added.